Narcoculture in Mexico
Narcoculture in Mexico refers to the cultural phenomenon surrounding the powerful drug cartels that have significantly impacted various regions of the country. These cartels, which engage in violent and criminal activities such as drug trafficking, extortion, and kidnapping, have fostered complex relationships with local communities. In some areas, cartels are seen as protectors, offering security against rival gangs, which can lead to a sense of loyalty among residents. This dynamic has given rise to cultural expressions, particularly through narcocorridos, a genre of music that glorifies the lives and exploits of cartel members, drawing parallels to traditional folk ballads.
Narcocorridos and their modern counterpart, narco hip-hop, resonate particularly with younger audiences and have transcended borders, further entrenching the narrative of the drug trade in popular culture. While some view narcoculture as an embodiment of resistance against corruption and poverty, critics argue it glamorizes violence and criminality, potentially influencing youth to align with cartels. The prevalence of narcoculture reflects a broader societal struggle with the realities of living in areas dominated by these powerful organizations, highlighting the intricate balance of fear, reverence, and opposition that characterizes the landscape of modern Mexico.
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Subject Terms
Narcoculture in Mexico
Narcoculture is the pro-cartel culture found in many areas controlled by Mexico's drug cartels, powerful organizations funded by narcotics trafficking. These cartels are extremely violent and responsible for countless crimes. However, some cartels protect the people within their territory from other cartels. This fosters narcoculture and a positive relationship between the cartel and the people of that area. Others support cartels because they are the only way to become wealthy in an impoverished area.
Participants in narcoculture created narcocorrido, Mexican folk ballads that glorify the exploits of cartel members. Their lyrics are about narcotics abuse, smuggling, and murder; the music is a traditional polka-based composition. Narcocorridos are extremely popular, both in Mexico and other nations.
Background
Drug cartels are criminal organizations based in Mexico. They fund their operations through the production, trafficking, and sale of illegal narcotics. Many cartels also fund themselves through extortion, kidnapping, ransom, and other various crimes.
The first cartels rose to power in the early 1980s. Illegal narcotics, primarily marijuana and cocaine, could be produced cheaply in Mexico. The narcotics could then be sold in America for a hugely inflated price. By sneaking narcotics across the border and selling them to distributors, the cartels produced unprecedented profit margins. As the cartels grew wealthier and their sphere of influence expanded, they raised powerful military wings. Battles between cartels in various territories commonly resulted in large numbers of civilian casualties, as did battles between the cartels and government forces.
Several powerful cartels currently operate in Mexico. The Sinaloa Cartel is one of the oldest still in existence. Named after the Mexican state Sinaloa, the cartel is one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world. It is headed by Joaquin Guzman, better known as El Chapo. Guzman is known for his repeated dramatic escapes from federal Mexican prisons.
The Gulf Cartel is a rival of the Sinaloa Cartel and is associated with a variety of violent crimes across Mexico. Its militant wing, Los Zetos, was comprised of former members of the Mexican military. Los Zetos later broke off from the Gulf Cartel to form its own cartel and quickly became one of the most feared organizations in Mexico.
La Familia, another powerful cartel, broke away from Los Zetas in 2006. It is known for cornering the amphetamine trade, a market much more profitable than other types of narcotics. Members of La Familia are required to obey a moral and political code, which includes refusing to kill for money and avoiding the killing of innocents. However, the cartel is still regarded as extremely dangerous by law enforcement.
Overview
Drug cartels have become a major part of Mexican life and culture. Because of this, the culture surrounding and reacting to the cartels is often called narcoculture. For example, in Sinaloa, many citizens support El Chapo and the Sinaloa Cartel. The cartel defends them from other neighboring cartels and avoids engaging in violent activities like extortion and kidnapping within its own borders. When El Chapo was held in maximum security prison, protestors picketed outside the prison, holding signs proclaiming their support for the cartel leader. In 2019, after El Chapo was convicted in the United States of ten drug-related charges, Sinaloa saw increased sales of merchandise based on the former drug lord, including El Chapo action figures. Many people also went to the chapel of "narco-saint" Jesus Malverde—a Robin Hood–like figure from the nineteenth century who has become venerated in Sinaloa as the patron saint of those involved in the drug trade—to pray for El Chapo.
Having the support of Sinaloa's citizens allows the Sinaloa Cartel to function more easily and efficiently; the cartel does not have to hide its activities from the general populace. The arrangement it has with the populace makes it easier to continue to secure profits.
Narcoculture is also present in Mexican popular culture. A new genre of music, narcocorridos, evolved from corridos, traditional Mexican folk music. Corridos were waltzes, polkas, or folk songs that told the tales of revolutionaries, rebels, and other characters of the Mexican Revolution. Narcocorridos tell stories in the same style but about cartel members instead of revolutionaries. These songs pay tribute to cartel founders and leaders and glorify robbery, kidnapping, narcotics trafficking, and violence.
The popularity of narcocorridos rose steadily alongside the growth of the first powerful cartels in the 1980s and 1990s. These songs are particularly popular among younger generations. Narcocorridos are often compared to the American genre of gangster rap. Over time, the popularity of narcocorridos even spread across the border to the United States. These songs became associated with opposition to corrupt governments, those who battle poverty, and rural life in Mexico. The popular music has also renewed young people's interest in traditional Mexican corridos.
Critics of narcocorridos argue that the music promotes the support of various criminal organizations throughout Mexico. They believe that the violent, illegal subject matter explored by narcocorridos is not something that should be broadcast on radios. They argue that such actions cause more young people to identify with the cartels and many narcocorrido performers are cartel members themselves.
Narco hip-hop is a new, popular genre of narco-based music. It features many of the same themes as narcocorridos but with rap-style beats. Narco hip-hop is particularly popular in areas heavily controlled by cartels.
While many people in Mexico support narcoculture, others strongly oppose the cartels. Many Mexican citizens believe that the cartels' rise in power has led to a drastic increase in government and police corruption and increased rates of illegal narcotics abuse. Additionally, many citizens believe that the cartels are directly responsible for the many murders that have been committed throughout Mexico in the last several decades. For these and other reasons, protests and demonstrations are often staged against the cartels.
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